Our real idea of God may lie buried underneath the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is. Only after an ordeal of painful self-probing are we likely to discover what we actually believe about God. —A. W. Tozer
Don’t we all wish God would reveal more of Himself? Moses did, too.
The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” (Exodus 33:14, 18)
Moses didn’t know what he was asking. When he asked God to see His glory, it was like asking God to pour the oceans through a thimble. The thimble couldn’t possibly handle it. Neither could we. We couldn’t possibly handle God’s infinite glory with the limited mind we possess. Thankfully, God reveals Himself partially.
And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (Exodus 33:19-20)
This partial revelation is more than enough for us today! With the Word of God in our minds and the presence of His Spirit in our hearts, we can “see” more than we need to respond appropriately:
- We respect Him greatly.
- We revere Him continually.
- We replace Him with nothing.
Glorious God, thank You for Your merciful restraint in revealing Your glory. Thank You for showing me more than enough. Reveal my true beliefs, painful as that may be, and conform my beliefs about You to the Truth so that the Truth can set me free. Amen.